Kalenderblad februari met lelietjes-van-dalen before 1905

This calendar page for February, featuring lilies of the valley, was designed by Anna Sipkema. It probably dates from around the turn of the century. There's something so charming about the way she uses these pale greens and creams. It suggests a kind of quiet optimism, doesn't it? Look at the way the lilies frame the calendar dates. The leaves are rendered in flat planes of colour, but there's also a real sense of volume and depth. The intertwining stems create a delicate, almost lace-like pattern. Then, at the bottom, the roots! Like tangled thoughts or unspoken desires. I can't help but think of Hilma af Klint. Both artists shared an interest in the unseen world, and like Klint, Sipkema uses the language of abstraction to express something beyond the visible. This calendar isn't just a way to mark the days; it's an invitation to see the world with new eyes, to find beauty in the everyday.